Completion of this instructional unit demonstrates a basic understanding of the impact of historical trauma on the health of the American Indian population.
Challenge 1 I Challenge 2 I Challenge 3 I Challenge 4 I Challenge 5 I Challenge 6
Upon completion of the challenges required for this instructional unit, you will be able to:
- Define historical trauma.
- List key concepts about historical trauma.
- Describe incidents and populations that are impacted by historical trauma.
- Relate aspects of the Indian nations’ struggle to protect their lands, cultures, and freedoms.
- Describe the concept of manifest destiny.
- Discuss the impact of westward expansion in the United States on Native American peoples.
- Describe ways in which historical trauma has affected the Native Indian population.
- Cite examples of the impact of historical trauma on the health of the Native Indian population.
- List and describe nursing interventions appropriate for treating patients with historical trauma.
Challenge 1: What is Historical Trauma?
The Administration for Children and Families defines historical trauma as:
“…multigenerational trauma experienced by a specific cultural, racial or ethnic group. It is related to major events that oppressed a particular group of people because of their status as oppressed, such as slavery, the Holocaust, forced migration, and the violent colonization of Native Americans.”
Clinical social workers first described historical trauma among descendants of the Holocaust and the children of Japanese Americans interned during World War II (Barocas and Baroca, 1979; Nagata et al, 1999). Children and grandchildren of the survivors commonly experienced attachment issues and isolation by their parents (Danieli, 1980).
Another group that experiences the impact of historical trauma, are Native Americans.
Dr. Maria Yellowhorse-Braveheart, clinician and researcher working with tribal communities, defines historical trauma as
“The collective emotional and pyschological injury both over the life span and across generations, resulting from a cataclysmic history of genocide.”
“It’s the cumulative emotional and psychological wounding over the lifespan and across generations, emanating from massive group trauma.”
Key Concepts of Historical Trauma
- Historical trauma is intergenerational trauma experienced by a specific cultural group that has a history of being systematically oppressed.
- Current lifespan trauma, superimposed upon a traumatic ancestral past creates additional adversity.
- Historical trauma can have an impact on psychological and physical health.
- Historical trauma is cumulative and reverberates across generations. Descendants who have not directly experienced a traumatic event can exhibit the signs and symptoms of trauma, such as depression, fixation on trauma, low self-esteem, anger, and self-destructive behavior.
- People coming into systems of services and support from communities who have been subjected to historical trauma may believe the systems do not support them. They may experience triggers that are re-traumatizing.
To achieve this challenge, reflect on the concept of historical trauma and your reaction to it.
- Which definition of historical trauma do you prefer? Why?
- Have you ever heard of historical trauma before?
- Why do you think it is important for you to learn more about historical trauma?
- Why do you think historical trauma is relevant for primary care for underserved populations?
References
Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart (2003). “The historical trauma response among natives and its relationship to substance abuse: A Lakota illustration.” Journal of Psychoactive DrugsVisit disclaimer page 35(1)
Barocas, H., & Barocas, C. (1979). Wounds of the fathers: the next generation of Holocaust victims. International Review of Psycho-Analysis, 5, 331341
Danieli, Y. (1980). Families of survivors of the Nazi Holocaust: Some long- and some shortterm effects. In Milgram, N. (Ed.), Psychological Stress and Adjustment in Time of War and Peace. Washington, DC: Hemisphere Publishing Corps.
Challenge 2: America’s Great Indian Nations
To complete this challenge, select three of the Indian Nations and relate similarities and differences between them in relation to historical trauma.
Challenge 3: The Roots of Historical Trauma for Native Americans
Manifest Destiny: Westward Expansion of America
What are the roots of historical trauma for Native Americans?
Think back to your elementary and high school history lessons. While you were learning about how the “west was won,” you probably weren’t considering the situation from the perspective of persons of Native American heritage.
Let’s take a journey back and revisit that time in history…this time seeing the events as they have impacted Native American peoples.
To complete this challenge, think about what you learned from the video using the following prompts to guide your reflection:
- What new information did you learn from the video?
- How was the information in the video the same or different from your understanding of America’s westward expansion?
- What do you think about the concept of manifest destiny as it played out in our history?
Challenge 4: The Impact of Historical Trauma on Native American Populations
You learned from the preceding challenges that the history of the American Indian is characterized by:
- Warfare, genocide
- Infectious disease
- Forced boarding school
- Abuse of all types
- Loss of language
- Loss of family cohesion
- Cultural destruction
Now let’s consider the impact of historical trauma passed across generations from a personal perspective and begin to understand the impact of historical trauma on the health of a population.
Developed by The StyleHorse Collective, this music video was created to acknowledge the effects of historical trauma in tribal communities.
Many times, these untended wounds are at the core of much of the self-inflicted pain experienced in Native America. Much like fire, this pain can either be devastatingly destructive or wisely harnessed to become fuel that helps us to rise up and move forward in life with joy, purpose and dignity.
To complete this challenge, compose a reflection that describes how you feel about what you have viewed. Use the following prompts to guide your reflection.
- How do you believe what you have viewed has influenced the American Indian regarding provision of health care:
- by non-native providers?
- by the American Government?
Challenge 5: Health Concerns and Treatment Strategies
Let’s take a closer look at historical trauma in indigenous populations and the associated health concerns. In this elearning module, nursing interventions for treating historical trauma are considered.
To complete this challenge, work through the elearning module, Health Concerns and Treatment Strategies, and then formulate a response to the following prompts:
- What did you learn that was new or surprising?
- Did the lesson evoke any emotional response from you? Describe what you were feeling.
- What “take-aways” did the lesson offer you for your nursing practice now or in the future?
Challenge 6: Professional Nurses’ Responsibility for Inclusive Advocacy
To achieve this challenge, compose a reflection that describes how you feel about what you have viewed and what you have learned in the preceding challenges. Use the following prompts to guide your reflection:
- Discuss the importance of the nurse’s advocacy role.
- How do you think you might advocate for the American Indian?
- How does RADIENT assist the American Indian Nation address disparities?